ICP-MS Lab

Department

Geosciences

Address

4505 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322

Contact

The Agilent 8900 Triple-Quadrupole ICP-MS is an instrument that can analyze elemental abundances and ratios, and some isotope systems at extremely high precision and low detection limits. Samples are introduced either dissolved in acidic solutions or via a laser ablation system. The 8900's QQQ tandem mass spectrometer architecture uses two sequential quadrupole mass analyzers with a collision/reaction cell in between. This ground-breaking technology allows unprecedented avoidance of tricky isobaric and polyatomic interferences by reacting either analytes or interfering ions with reactive gases (e.g. hydrogen, oxygen). The 8900 is mostly used to measure trace elements in microfossils (e.g. foraminifera) and whole-rock digests. Contact lab PI, Dr. Don Penman, for more information.